The starter on the “Nine” does not turn: we are looking for the cause and a way to eliminate it

VAZ starters, despite their reliability, durability and endurance, still fail sooner or later.

The average starter life is usually 5-6 years, which is half the life of the engine. And whether there is a malfunction of the VAZ 21093 starter, or the VAZ 2109 or 21099 starter does not turn, the problem will still have to be solved by diagnosing, repairing, and possibly even replacing this electrical component.

Since the VAZ starter design differs only slightly, we will take into consideration the situation when the VAZ 2109, 21099 starter does not turn.

After turning the key in the ignition, you may find that:

• VAZ 2109,21099 starter does not work after a single click;
• The VAZ 2109, 21099 starter does not work after a whole “trill” of frequent successive clicks;
• The starter response to turning the key is completely absent.

What to do if the starter does not work? Of course, look for the cause of this phenomenon and try to eliminate it.

VAZ 2109, 21099 starter does not work after one click

reasons why the VAZ 2109, 21099 starter does not turn after a single click.

The power bolts on the solenoid relay may have burnt out. This defect leads to the fact that from the supplied 12V, only about 6-7V reaches the starter.

The fork that pushes out the starter bendix may be bent, broken, or otherwise deformed. In this situation, the bendix does not fully fit the flywheel; the cores only partially enter the coil, preventing the contacts from closing.

The teeth on the Bendix sprocket have worn out. Because of this, the solenoid relay cannot transmit voltage to the starter.

Also, the cause of the phenomenon of “one click” of the starter may be either worn-out brushes or armature bushings, or a short circuit in the winding.

VAZ 2109, 21099 starter does not work after frequent clicks

A crackling sound from the starter in response to turning the key in the lock may indicate the need to charge the battery and check whether the terminals on it are oxidized or loose.

Repeated clicks are repeated due to the fact that the retracting winding retracts the core, and the holding winding cannot hold it and lets go. This can continue until the battery runs out completely.

VAZ 2109.21099 starter does not work and there is no response to turning the key

The absence of any response from the starter to turning the key in the lock sometimes indicates a short circuit in the windings (if smoke and a burning smell appears from the starter when you try to start).

If the lack of starter response is not accompanied by “special effects” in the form of smoke and a characteristic odor, you should pay attention to the condition of the additional relay and the contacts of the battery terminals.

The same reaction of the starter is observed when the ring in the starter gearbox is partially destroyed.

If the starter does not respond to turning the key in the lock, you need to take into account that the reason may lie in the key itself. If the check confirms this, it will be enough to just replace the ignition key to fix the problem.

It may also happen that after removing and disassembling the starter, you will not find any damage. Do not rush to replace it with a new one or go to a car service center. Perhaps after you clean the starter, apply new grease and reinstall it, it will come back to life.

After you find and fix the starter malfunction, try not to cause it to break down again in the future, because this lightweight device already has a hard time - the rotation of the massive flywheel and the start of movement of the entire piston group of the engine depend on its serviceability.

Popular causes of malfunction

The most common reasons account for about 95% of all cases when the starter does not turn. That’s why we pay attention to them first.

We recommend: Correct installation of piston rings

The starter does not turn differently in different situations. It is important to take this into account and clearly monitor all associated symptoms. So, even without the help of specialists, you will be able to return the unit to operation and resume normal operation of the ignition system

Bendix

Often, simply disassembling and cleaning the internal components of the starter can eliminate problems with its functionality. Therefore, after removing the device and not finding damaged elements inside it, try to thoroughly clean everything, assemble it and put it back in place. It is likely that the starter will start turning.

The starter device on the VAZ 2109, how it works

Starters on the VAZ 2109 are DC motors, with a maximum consumption of 500 A to 700 A. During normal operation, 260 A is consumed, with a power of about 1.3 W. They differ from other starting devices in that there is no support at the end of the anchor shaft, instead there is a bushing pressed into the clutch housing.

Starter device: 1. Armature shaft; 2. Drive gear; 3. Gear bushing; 4. Freewheel roller; 5. Clutch housing; 6. Gear drive lever axis; 7. Starter cover on the drive side; 8. Gear drive lever; 9. Traction relay anchor; 10. Traction relay housing; 11. Solenoid coil of traction relay; 12. Holding winding of the traction relay; 13. Traction relay rod; 14. Traction relay core; 15. Contact plate; 16. Traction relay cover; 17. Contact bolts; 18. End manifold;19. Brush; 20. Brush spring; 21. Starter cover bushing; 22. Casing; 23. Pinch bolt; 24. Starter cover from the collector side; 25. Armature winding; 26. Armature core; 27. Stator winding; 28. Stator pole; 29. Starter housing; 30. Limit disc; 31. Lead ring; 32. Centering disk; 33. Buffer spring; 34. Freewheel outer ring; 35. Freewheel hub; 36. Gear travel limiting ring; 37. Guide rod; 38. Plunger; 39. Starter; 40. Auxiliary starter relay; 41. Mounting block; 42. Ignition switch; 43. Generator; 44. Battery; 45. I. Scheme of operation of the overrunning clutch.

The main elements that make up the design of the VAZ 2109 starter are:

1. Front cover with plain bearing;
2. Engagement drive or bendix mechanism (roller overrunning clutch so that the mechanism rotates in only one direction). The cylinders block rotation in the opposite direction, the fork connects the element to the retractor relay, and the gear to the flywheel. Through the ring gear, torque is transmitted to the engine crankshaft. The coupling on the armature shaft moves along a screw thread made in its front part;
3. Model No. 5712 has a planetary gearbox located further on the axis. With such a starter, the bendix shaft and armatures are located in parallel. The rotation speed of the clutch is lower, but the torque on the flywheel is much higher. As a result, trouble-free starting is guaranteed even at low air temperatures, and the voltage does not drop when spinning up the flywheel, and the starting current on the armature windings is much less;
4. The moving part of the device, the rotor with the collector, is located behind the bendix or behind the gearbox;
5. Stator, in a metal case. It has four poles, which are secured by a screw connection along with the winding coils inside the housing. Of these, 3 coils are connected in series to the armature winding (serial coils). One of the coils is connected in parallel (shunt coil), so the starter is a mixed-excitation electric motor. This gives a large torque when braked and not too high an armature speed at idle.
6. Brush holder, four copper-graphite brushes, a positive pair and a negative pair, are attached to it. Together the entire structure makes up the brush assembly. With the help of brushes, current is transmitted to the armature;
7. From the rear, the starter is closed by another, rear cover on a plain bearing;
8. A retractor electromagnetic relay is located on top. It engages the roller overrunning clutch, and the voltage from it is transmitted to the relay armature. Inside the relay is a coil with an insulated copper wire and a metal rod (core). It moves the contact rod, which is located at the rear, as well as the overrunning clutch lever;
9. An anchor composed of a shaft on which electrical steel plates are strung and pressed, with slots. They contain a copper tape winding with cardboard insulation. The ends of the armature winding are connected by caulked soldering to the collector plates. The shaft rotates in metal-ceramic bushings. Of these, the front one is in the clutch housing, where the front part of the shaft is placed when the starter is installed. The rear one is pressed into the starter cover;
10. Drive lever.

The entire structure is connected to the flywheel ring gear through the drive gear. When voltage is applied, an electromagnetic field appears on the relay coil. The electrical circuits of the stator and armature windings close, and an EMF occurs. It sets the armature into rotation. The latter, using a lever, moves the clutch forward. The transmission gear meshes with the ring teeth and transmits torque to the motor flywheel.

The armature moves to its extreme point of movement, closing the relay contacts on the opposite side. In this case, the current no longer flows through the 1st winding, because its ends are closed to the “plus” of the battery. The retracted armature is held by a relatively weak magnetic flux created by the magnetic field on the holding winding. Additionally, current is supplied to the corresponding elements of the starter motor. In starter No. 5712, torque is transmitted through a converter (gearbox) to the 2nd shaft. In other models, force is transmitted through the splines to the hub, directly, in both cases, triggering the rotational movement of the overrunning clutch. The roller overrunning clutch has 2 rings in its design, internal and external. At the same time, the inner ring is put on and secured to the shaft, with which it turns. The outer one is connected to a transmission gear connected through a ring gear to the engine flywheel.

The rings are flat, and the steel cylinders located between them block rotation in the opposite direction. These cylinders are located on the inside of the outer ring of the clutch. Since the niches for them are cut out in the form of half-drops, when turning in one direction the cylinders move freely. When changing the direction of movement of one of the rings, their rotation is impossible. In this case, the coupling turns into a single, motionless whole.

After the engine has reached operating speed, the rotation speed of the flywheel significantly exceeds the speed of the starter. Then, due to the design feature of the bendix, its rings are disconnected. The gear is thrown back, and the starter motor loses contact with the running engine of the car. Turning the ignition key back stops the supply of voltage to the solenoid relay. The current flows from the “plus” contacts of the battery to the relay contacts (which are closed), passes through the pull-in winding, then the holding winding and the last stage – the “case”.

The fact is that in a car, all its metal (conductive) parts of the body in the wiring play the role of a wire, a negative pole. So, the machines have a single-wire electrical network, which is de-energized when connected in this way. In this case, the movement of current through the windings is multidirectional. The magnetic fluxes are mutually compensated, and the core is demagnetized.

The armature returns, braking due to the friction of the brushes and commutator. In this case, the contacts of the starter motor are open. The lever moves the clutch back and the starter is turned off.

How to fix starter malfunctions with your own hands

The electrical component of the starter consists of the following structural elements:

• winding;
• brush assembly;
• solenoid relay.

When checking the solenoid relay, skip the starter operation, bypassing its switching. The relay has 3 terminals at once, one of which is the control terminal. The remaining 2 large terminals, located at the input to the battery and at the output of the starter, are closed using a screwdriver or wrench. Closing for a short period of time is enough, the main thing is that the tool you are using does not touch the metal body directly under the hood.

Observe the changes in the starter during the process of closing the terminals - if the device rotates, perhaps with a clearly audible crackling sound, then the fault is caused by the solenoid relay.

Remember that starting the engine in this way is prohibited, because the main gear of the device does not engage.

Most likely, the contact planes on the inner plane simply burned out, and therefore a dielectric layer of metal oxides formed on top. To burn the contacts, there is no need to make great efforts; just one start of the VAZ-2109 engine is enough.

There are 2 ways to repair the VAZ-2109 solenoid relay:

1. Dismantle the device and disassemble it into components, clean the contacts.
2. If it is financially possible, it is better to replace the relay completely. Practice shows that if a relay fails, the contacts will have to be cleaned more and more often to restore its operation. If you want the repaired relay to last a long time, give preference to this option for repairing the starter if the device does not spin or click.

Catalog number and cost of a good starter for VAZ 21099

The original VAZ 21099 starters, regardless of whether it is an injector or a carburetor under the hood, have very mediocre quality and satisfactory performance characteristics. Car owners complain that there are a large number of defects among original units. Therefore, experienced drivers recommend purchasing products from third-party manufacturers. Analogues often have more attractive performance characteristics, which are combined with a very reasonable price. The best alternative options for original starters, which have proven themselves excellent during operation on the VAZ 21099, are shown in the table below.

Table - Good analogues of the original VAZ 21099 starter

Individual situations

If the VAZ 21099 injector stops starting, you can try to close the contacts of the mechanism in a straight line.

But sometimes there are emergency situations when the device stops functioning, let’s consider a few of them:

1. The injection engine does not start in cold weather, but all devices work normally, the battery is charged. If there is no click, you should first diagnose the safety components, electrical circuit, and also the solenoid relay. If the device clicks, the relay must be replaced.
2. The starter turns all day, there is a spark, but in the evening the engine stops starting. Before checking the starter, it is necessary to fully charge the battery, and then clean the contacts on both the battery and the mechanism itself. If these steps did not help solve the problem, you need to check the battery itself more carefully - try closing the contacts with a wire, which may cause a spark to melt. If this does not help, try applying a positive charge from the battery directly to the relay. If there are no changes, the unit will have to be replaced.
3. If the car was operated normally all day, but after parking for five minutes it stopped starting, you can try to close the mechanism. You need to directly close two bolts on the relay; if this helps, but later the problem reappears, then disassemble the unit completely. Most likely, the problem lies directly in the erasing of the brushes. In this case, they will need to be changed.
4. The unit does not turn at all, but the car can be started from the pushrod. If the problem is not with the starter, then check the fuse box and ignition switch. But before this, you should check the wiring - the reason may lie in the oxidation of the contacts.

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Device

1. retaining ring
2. restrictor ring
3. overrunning clutch drive
4. lever axis
5. front cover
6. drive lever
7. armature relay
8. traction relay
9. back cover
10. protective cover
11. lock washer
12. pinch bolt
13. shim
14. brush spring
15. brush
16. frame
17. anchor

Rare situations

They happen noticeably less frequently than those we described above. But under no circumstances should we exclude them.

After reviewing the situations below, compare them with the behavior of your starter and a car that has stopped turning or clicks but does not turn.

1. With an injection engine at a frosty temperature of about -20 degrees Celsius, all devices function. This indicates that the battery is fully charged. At the same time, for some reason the starter refuses to turn. Your actions:
   If there are no clicks when you try to start the engine, check the condition of the fuse, wiring and solenoid relay;
2. If there is a clicking noise, the most likely source of the problem is the solenoid relay. It must be replaced.

1. The engine started normally throughout the day, but in the evening it suddenly stopped working normally. When you turn the key in the ignition switch, there is only a click, but the starter does not turn. When you try to start the engine several times in a row, several clicks are heard. Your actions: Charge the battery;
2. Crimp, strip and tighten the contacts on the starter and battery;
3. If the first two points do not produce results, check the battery itself. To do this, the wire closes its contacts. If the battery is working properly, a spark will appear that melts the wire;
4. Connect the plus from the battery directly to the solenoid relay. If the starter is silent, replace the starter.

car battery

1. During the day the car started without problems. But after being idle for several minutes, attempts to start the car fail. When you turn the key, the relay is activated, but the starter stubbornly refuses to turn. By closing the two bolts of the solenoid relay, everything started. We reached our destination, stopped, and turned off the engine. When I try to start again, the same situation occurs. Just locking the bolts no longer works. Your actions:
   Disassemble the starter housing;
2. Check the condition of the brushes. There is a high probability that they have been completely erased. Hence this effect;
3. Replace the brushes with new ones. This is cheaper than completely replacing the unit.

1. The starter doesn't turn over. When you try to close it, only noise arises, like when a drill is working. The engine shows no signs of life. But it was possible to start it from the pushrod without any problems. Your actions:
   Make sure your starter is working properly;
2. If everything is fine with it, go to the mounting block and check the fuses;
3. Also examine the condition of the ignition switch. It is possible that the problem is with him;
4. Do not forget to check the wiring for breaks and short circuits;
5. Check the status of the contacts. It’s not uncommon that minus does not reach the starter relay only for the banal reason of oxidation or burnt wire.

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Having understood the reasons for the failure of the starter, you can bring the device back to life on your own. Don't rush to throw away your old starter and buy a new one. The practice of VAZ 2109 owners shows that partial repairs, and sometimes even simple cleaning of the device, make it possible to restore the functionality of one of the main elements of the ignition system for a long time.

Required Tools

In order to remove and install the starter on a VAZ 21099 car, you will need the tools from the table presented below.

Table - Tools required to replace the front strut

Most operations for replacing a starter on a VAZ 21099 can be performed through the top of the engine compartment. Despite this, it is extremely inconvenient to unscrew the lower fastening of the unit, even with a ratchet and extension. Therefore, if possible, it is advisable to carry out part of the work on dismantling and installing the product from the bottom of the machine. To do this, you will need a lift, inspection hole or overpass. According to reviews from car owners, in extreme cases you can do without them.

How to charge the battery in a VAZ-2109

If the starter malfunction is due to lack of battery charge, start charging the device. To properly charge the battery, carry out the procedure in a ventilated room. It is not necessary to remove the unit from the car; the process can take place directly in the VAZ-2109. When charging the battery, follow these requirements:

1. Disconnect all electrical cables.
2. Immediately before charging, carefully clean the terminals from adhering dirt and dust, paying special attention to oxidized areas.
3. It is advisable to completely discharge the battery before charging - to do this, turn on all electrically powered devices.
4. Observe the movements of the ammeter needle; it should approach the zero mark.
5. Monitor the temperature of the electrolyte - it will increase during charging. For example, the temperature of the electrolyte has increased to 40 degrees, then the current should be halved. If within 2 hours the density of the electrolyte and the battery voltage in the VAZ-2109 remain unchanged, it means that the battery is fully charged.

Typically, 10-12 hours are enough to charge the battery. Please note that in the summer the electrolyte in the VAZ-2109 heats up at an accelerated pace, so the car owner’s task is to regularly check the density and level of the material.

Common causes of failure

Identification of starter components

If on a VAZ 2109 the injector or carburetor stops starting the engine, and the starter does not click, this may be due to various malfunctions.

In general, it should be noted that there can be several options for a malfunction of the starter unit:

1. When you turn the key, the device operates once, that is, only one click is heard.
2. When I try to start, there are several clicks, but the engine does not start.
3. The starter on the VAZ 2109 carburetor does not work completely - there are no clicks.

If the injector does not start, and the starter unit makes only one click, the cause of the problem may be:

• power screws on the solenoid relay, these elements could burn out, as a result of which the voltage supplied to the mechanism will be less than 12 volts;
• a fork designed to push out the bendix, this component could wear out, break or become deformed, as a result the bendix cannot reach the flywheel normally;
• if the car does not start with the key, the teeth on the bendix may have worn off, as a result of which there will be no current from the relay to the starter device;
• wear of brushes or bushings of the so-called anchor;
• winding short circuit.

Starter unit "nine"

If the device clicks several times, but does not turn the engine and, accordingly, the VAZ 2109 does not start, then there may be several reasons:

• the battery is dead;
• oxidation of the terminals occurred, as a result of which they became loose;
• The holding winding of the system cannot properly fix the core.

You can turn the key as much as you like, but if the mechanism does not show any signs of life and the engine does not start, then the cause of the malfunction may be as follows:

• short circuit of the winding, if this is the case, then you will hear a burning smell in the car interior, and smoke may even appear;
• collapsed as a ring located in the gearbox;
• very rarely the problem is the key.

If you have dismantled the mechanism and found no damage, try cleaning it and reinstalling it. It is quite possible that after this the VAZ 2109 starter will start working normally (the author of the video is the Avtoelektika HF channel).

Article number and approximate price for the original VAZ 21099 starter

The original starters for the VAZ 21099 have a factory index of 29.3708 and 5712.3708. For a new product, the car owner will need to pay more than 3,000 rubles. The wide popularity of the VAZ 21099 led to a large number of used starters for the car at car dismantling yards. For a supported node you will need to pay from 1200 rubles. The problem with such a purchase is the inability to determine the residual life of the product.

Starters for VAZ 21099, which go on retail sale, have article numbers 21130370801000 and 2108370801006. Their price starts from 3,200 rubles. The nodes have similar operational characteristics.